The Lion & the Queen
by queenlocksley
Summary: What if Regina had entered the tavern? What if when she tried to flee it was too late and Robin followed her? A what-if AU love story of if Regina had gone into the tavern and met her soul mate like Tinkerbell had instructed her to do. (Because my Outlaw Queen feels hurt too much right now.)
1. Chapter 1

_ **  
**_**[A/N: Okay, so I have been having really strong Outlaw Queen feels because s4 is a month away and we have barely seen Lana on set, and I'm terrified. So, here's this (what started out as a one-shot-turned-ficlet about it Regina had gone into the tavern. Also based off of the otp prompt I read and I mixed that in here also. If you have a prompt, Outlaw Queen or Captain Swan you can send that to me on Tumblr at .com That's all. Enjoy (i hope) !] **

_ I can do this. I can be happy. _Regina exhaled slowly and swung open the tavern door. _Three seconds of courage, that's all it takes to change your life. _She opened her eyes and her feet were carrying her closer, closer and closer to the man Tink had pointed out to her. The man with the lion tattoo. This was really happening, Regina felt panic coil in her chest. She could not do this. She inhaled sharply and wheeled herself around, ready to bolt. A hand gripping her elbow stopped her. She turned, her big beautiful brown eyes full of fear, and stared at her captor. It was _him_. He sensed her distress and released her immedietly, clearing his throat and running his hand through his hair.

"I do hope I haven't scared you off," his voice erupted in her ears. "You must forgive me, I didn't mean to frighten you." He nodded at where he had been holding her arm. Regina's fingers grazed over the soft flesh of her inner elbow where his hand had caused a surge of energy to flow through her. She shook her head unable to find words, biting awkwardly on her bottom lip. The man pointed to the empty seat next to him. "Let me buy you a drink to make up for my faux pas?"

Regina nodded her head furiously, finally able to form words as she slipped onto the seat next to him.

"You didn't frighten me, well, not in the way you _think _you frightened me."

The man arched an eyebrow and smirked, studying his glass of whiskey. He looked over at her a moment later, pausing to take all of her in, and asked.

"And in what way did I frighten you, m'lady?"

Regina could not stop the small smile from breaking out across her lips as she leaned in closer to him.

"I can't tell you."

"Ah," he chuckled and bobbed his head, enjoying her mysterious air. "Can you slip me your name?"

A bar wench turned the corner and was sauntering over towards them with drinks when she spoke.

"It's nothing extravagant, so I hope you weren't expecting much." She let her gaze drift over to the man with the lion tattoo, fully take his features in. "It's just Regina."

"Well, 'just Regina', I think that's quite beautiful and I'm just Robin of Locksley." He outstretched his hand to her. "At your service."

He bowed, struggling to maintain his balance atop the stool as he did so, and Regina covered her mouth with her hand to hide her laughter. She nodded her head in a slight curtsy, as the bar wench finally reached them. Her huge green eyes gaped at Regina and her hands fumbled as she lifted her skirts and slipped into a bow.

"Your majesty," the bar wench exclaimed in awe. "It is an honor to have you here with us at the tavern. Please let me prepare a better room with better whiskey for you. I insist, your highness-"

"This is perfect. My present company suits me, very much to my liking, but thank you dear. " Robin titled his head, noting her sudden change in tone and new found regal air.

"But a glass of our finest whiskey, I insist-"

"That would be divine...oh! And one for everyone here! The King's tab, I'm sure he won't mind."

Regina gave the wench her most genuine smile and waited for her to disappear from sight before collapsing into her hands.

"That was exhausting-" She looked up and noticed Robin was gone. She jumped up and saw him weaving his way out of the tavern. She chased after him, catching his arm the way he had caught hers. "Where are you going?"

"I think _the King _would mind _this_. A thief dining with his queen." Robin was flabbergasted, how had he been so foolish, of course she was the queen. No one as beautiful as she was a commoner.

Regina recoiled, thinking perhaps, Tink's pixie dust had made an error. _Only one way to find out. _Without thinking she slammed herself against him, linking her fingers in the hairs at the base of his neck, and sliding her lips against his. He stood rigid and tense until letting himself relax into the kiss, their motions fluid and passion filled. His hands wrapping around her torso, resting on her curves, circling her hips closer and closer, dangerously close to him.

She broke away, panting for breath and her nose brushed against his. Regina laughed, amazed and proud that she had actually just done that! Her eyes flickered up to meet Robin's gaze, a sparkle she once thought lost forever now rekindling in her irises.

"Please, stay with me?" Regina stepped in the direction of their abandoned seats, her fingers falling from his. She yearned for him, waiting expectantly for an answer, their fingers barely able to graze each other's skin now. "Please, Robin?"

"What the hell!" Robin was a thief, an outlaw, why not add 'drink with the _married _queen (who he just kissed)' to his list of laws broken. Regina thought she might burst from the smothering sensation of joy she was experiencing. She had not known she could be this happy.

"So, you're the queen?"

Robin's thumb toyed at the rim of his whiskey glass the bar wench had just placed before him. She came over and placed an identical one in front of Regina. Other bar wenches were placing the same whiskey before all the other residents of the tavern. "Is this suitable, your majesty?"

"Yes, dear," Regina placed her palm against the bar wench's arm and sipped from her glass. The whiskey was wonderful. Regina pulled a purse of gold coins from her pocket, enough money for this wench to never have to work another day in her life no matter how many children she had. "Here, go live a happy life."

The wench peered into the coin bag and squealed. "Thank you, your highness! Thank you!"

Regina held her smile until the wench had left and turned to Robin, solemn faced. "Queen of nothing locked away, prisoner in that castle. A king in love with his dead ex-wife and sickly infatuated with his dreadful daughter. She's the reason-" Regina let it go. Daniel was dead and Robin was here. As much as the thought of ever moving on scared her, Daniel would have wanted this. Robin was her fate, her soul mate. She raised her glass with a smirk.

"To happiness."

Robin clinked his glass and rose from his seat. A look of mischief in his eyes as he clanged a wooden spoon against his glass. A tremendously awkward silence fell over the tavern as the men who had been fascinated with getting themselves drunk stared blankly at Robin.

"Everyone! I'd like to propose a toast to this beautiful woman sitting next to me at the bar. That expensive whiskey placed before you, fit for a queen, was paid for by our dear Queen, the same one who dines with us tonight. So join me in raising your glasses to the good queen!"

"TO THE GOOD QUEEN!" the room full of hearty sized men, half drunk, and wenches with witty smiles cheered and clamored about making noise for her.

Regina blushed as Robin neared her. He set down his glass and took Regina's hand, raising her to her feet and twirling her before everyone. The crowd of drunken tavern members erupted in to more chaotic cheers and she laughed, smiling back at Robin who beamed while watching her dance. She strung out her arms and bowed dramatically for everyone.

"THE GOOD QUEEN EVERYBODY!" Robin roared pumping the air with his fist, the men howled. Regina sat back down and chugged at her whiskey, trying to hide her shit-eating smile. Robin slid back onto his seat next to her and knew he had won her over. "You're not the queen of nothing, Regina."

"They're half drunk they would cheer to anything!" Regina waved her hand and then hung her head. "But thank you." She blushed and continued to brush strands of hair behind her ears, a nervous habit of hers. She stared down into her mug studying the ripples of the dark liquid, letting it enchant her.

"I haven't been this happy, nor treated this kindly since before I was forced to marry that dastardly king. He's older than my father, do you know that? But that was years ago-" she paused, off put by Robin's fingers wiping away the tears she had grown accustom to crying.

"Come with me, I want to show you something." Robin took her hand in his and wound their way through the tavern, to the back door.

"We're leaving?"

Regina hesitated. _Where was this man leading her? Sure, she felt a deep connection for him but did that mean she could just _trust _him like that? Where had this type of trust gotten her with Snow? _Robin was not Snow, and not one for unnecessary hold-ups either.

"Do you trust me?"

Did she? Regina's lips parted but no sound came out. She nodded.

"Then come on!"

Robin pushed open the back door and Regina twirled out, he followed suit. He led her into the forest, stopping at a tree that had been hollowed out. He reached his arm down into it and retrieved a bow and sling of arrows. Regina jumped back. This _had _been a bad idea. He laughed at her sudden fear and she wanted to be angry with him but she could not.

"I'm Robin Hood, the arrows come with the name, they're not for you. Relax, your highness, you're getting wrinkles," his thumb outlined her dimple line as he trudged by her and Regina pouted her lip. _Wrinkles? _

"I thought you were 'Robin of Locksley. At your service'?"

"Most people know me by either, I'm one and the same, your majesty," Robin informed her. She had to practically jog to keep up with his pace.

"Don't call me that! It's just Regina."

She eyed the silver light that filtered through the canopy of leaves, rising endlessly above them. The way they danced along the forest floor and the smell of peace, of home, that filled her nostrils.

"Out here, I'm just me, Regina."

* * *

"Regina?" a voice caught her attention and yanked her from her sleepy stupor. Where was she- her bedroom! How had she gotten here? Where was _he?_ Where was Robin? "Regina, over here!" A sparkle of green light caught her eyes, and Tink appeared on the edge of her great big bed.

"Well, how was it?"

Regina was trying to figure that out. _How had it been? _

"I can't remember."


	2. Chapter 2

**[A/N: Okay, so it seemed like a few people were interested in this story. Here's chapter 2! If you want an update leave a review! Also you can always reach me at my tumblr: .com :) happy reading]**

Regina massaged her temples. "I can't remember. I remember some, but how did I – how did I get here? He was taking me somewhere to show me something!"

"What was he like? Tell me everything! I want to know it all!"

Tink pried needily, rocking forward on her hands and knees. She shook Regina by the shoulders, desperately whining something that can only be described as dying whale noises. Tink drew back, her pixie nose wrinkled up as she stared at Regina.

"Wherever you went, you were in the forest at some point."

Regina's eyes grew wide.

"Oh no!"

She pulled at her white dress and inhaled the scent. That was not just forest, it was _him. _Regina closed her eyes and let his scent soak in to her, just a moment longer she told herself. As much as she did not want to, she knew she had to wash it off or else Leopald would know she had been with someone; or at the very least that she had escaped to somewhere. Regina rose to her feet and cascaded across the stone floor to the great big doors that were entrapping her in her room.

_Knock, knock, knock. _

"Yes, your majesty? What's the emergency this time?" One of her constant guards asked annoyed.

"Watch your tone when speaking to your Queen!"

Regina brushed a hair behind her ear and started speaking again.

"Open the door."

"You know we can't do that," the other guard said with an exasperated sigh.

"I know that I am forbidden from leaving the castle without my husband's permission, but truly, has it come to this? Am I not allowed to leave my own _room_?"

Regina pounded her tiny fists against the doors, angrily, to no avail.

The guards laughed on the other side of the doors.

"The King did not want you to try and flee in the middle of the night. You generally are not awake at this hour which is why you did not realize it was a rule. Why do you think we are at you door 24/7?"

"For my protection!"

"Silly princess," the second one guffawed as Regina smacked her palms against the doors.

There was a rush of emotion and light surged from her flesh, the great wooden doors crumbled at her touch and the guards stared dumbfounded at the Queen. Regina shot them a coy smile. She knew what her mother would have done next, so she did that. Her hands buried themselves beneath the flesh of the guards' chests and two ruby red hearts were in her hands, beating erratically with fear.

"I'm the _Queen_," Regina announced as she dug her nails into the strange fleshy organ and it was pressed to ash. The men gasped for breath and collapsed before her, falling over dead.

"Regina! You killed them!" Tink gaped in disbelief at the fallen guards. "You ripped out their hearts and- and you _crushed them! _Just like Blue said-"

"What's the matter pixie?" Regina snapped and then caught herself. "It's happening just like he said it would! I have to get this smell off of me! I have to go!" Regina ran from Tink's touch and hid herself away in her private bathroom.

"Where are we?" Regina whispered as Robin held back tree branches for her to pass by.

"My camp."

A small fire burned in the middle of a clearing, smaller stones bordering it. Tents were set up in a half moon shape around the fire, a single horse and cart tied up on one side.

"This is your home?" She walked closer to the fire, eyeing the meager surroundings.

"I know it's not much but-"

"It's home." Regina inhaled the smoky scent of the fire and glanced back at Robin. "I love it!" She spotted a loose bow and arrow from the corner of her eye and strung it.

Attempted to; the arrow slipped from her fingers and shot through the air, spooking the horse. It neighed and bucked up on its hind legs. Regina dropped the bow and rushed over to the horse, clutching the rope harness in her fingers and bringing the horse down to her. She stroked at the horse, trying to calm it.

"Shhhh. Shhhhhh. It's okay, yes, yes it is." She smiled as the horse calmed at her touch. She had loved her horse but she was not allowed to bring him to the prison that was her time at the castle. She was glad though, he deserved more than to be locked up like she was. "Yes, yes, I told you everything was all right." The horse nudged her shoulder gently and Regina nudged her cheek against the horse.

"You've quite the way with horses," Robin remarked. "There's a reason we call her Beasty."

He had picked up the bow and accompanying arrow.

"Also, you're not a half bad shot. Little John might have some competition."  
"Beasty?" Regina questioned as she stroked the horse. "You're not a beasty, you're a beauty."

She turned to Robin. "Who's Little John?"

"Me." A man of gigantic proportions and grizzly grooming greeted her.


End file.
